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म० महावीर-स्मृति-अंधा
not by adding one knowledge to another, but by remosing the cause of imperfection, which consists in the Kasãyas. Ignorance is only an incidcatal effect of a more fundamental cause, namely, the Karma that blurs the right intuition.
The Karma-doctrine is another glorious achievement of the Jain thinkers. Karma is a substantive force, a sort of infra-atomic particles which have the peculiar property of developing the effects of merit and demerit.
As heat can unita syith iron and water with milk, so Karma unites with the soul'. Life is a struggle between spirit and matter. The material body is to be subdued by the spiritual self. Samsāra consists in spirit subdued by matter. Evolution means evolution of the spirit followed, as a matter of necessity, by the evolution of the body. The body is the instrument of expression, and so the perfection of the spirit is synchronized with the perfection of the body. What controls the universe is the law of Karma. The world is made, not by gods and angels, but by the Karma of the spirits. The history of man is deterrained by his Opto voluntary choice. Man enters the world of his own creation and fashions it according to his own designs. He can transcend the inherited limitations by his will and action, and become the architect of his own future The theory of fourteen states in the ascent to the state of final liberation is the logical consummation of the doctrine of Karma
Indian religions lay stress on asceticism and life of negation, and Jainism does so in a special measure, Jainism prescribes even the abandonment of the body in case it fails to fulfil the demand of the spirit. This exposes Jainism to the charge that its ethics is negative and passive, The Jaina ethics will not plead guilty to this charge The motive behind ethical practices is that of purging the soul of selfish impulses so that it may realize itself. Spiritual strenuousness, meditation, the freeing of the mind from batred, anger and lust are emphasized, What appears to be passipity is intense concentration of consciousness where the soul lays bold immcdiately upon itself. Life affirmation is fraught with more dangers and pitfalls than those of life Degation. If affirmation leads to progress, negation certainly leads to peace. World has suffered more at the bands of the progresg-loving peoples than at the hands of the peace-loving nations. Jainism discourages aggressiveness, but never supports cowardice, Peaceful courting of death without hatred for the murderers 18 more praiseworthy than violent defence. The law of non-violence is regarded as the supreme lew. Justice itself is judged by this lay Consistent application of this universal law of non-violence in practical life exposed Jainism to the ridicule of those who were satisfied merely with the theoretical extolping of the law. Its appeal to the rational minde, however, wes great and gradually it gripped
considerable portion of the populace.
